CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Conclusion
5.1.1 Research Question 1. Which and to what extent do exhibition
events poses a challenge to the conceptual framework to propel the event sector forward post-pandemic. In this situation, PEOs need to redesign business events in ways that provide value to participants and follow new health and infection prevention procedures.
For PEOs to be perceived positively by their customers, they have to focus on the health and safety aspect, as this will be a primary concern of customers;
and they need to provide evidence of the implementation of health and safety measures to convince customers to come back again (Seraphin, 2021) On the other hand, the PEOs and destination marketers should be careful with hygiene policies, i.e., social distancing. It is necessary but creates mistrust between people and can lead to discrimination and violence (Yeh, 2021).
Additionally, technology will offer novel approaches to handling customers and assist the progress of face-to-face communication, such as associating with visitors, exhibitors, or the main stage representative before the show. This concept is similar to Nikitina (2021), who revealed that hybridization and digitalization of events represent a new hybrid dual format of the event. Therefore, strategy execution in the exhibitions should be the new norm. Any event should be equally represented in real-life and virtual formats during this period. Virtual events, i.e., online, teleconferenced, and webinars (Getz & Page, 2020), will gain in frequency and importance in response to advances in global technology because of globalization forces and the costs or risks. However, it will not be a substitute for live experience (Seraphin, 2021). Furthermore, exhibitors must plan and design their booths regarding visitor management to maintain the least possible distance between people (Lüder, 2022).
5.1.1.2 Facilitating Services
Facilitating services is the second most crucial dimension affecting exhibition participation. Facilitating services refers to those services that must be present for the customers to use the core product (Gronroos, 1987; Kotler & Armstrong, 2013). It is an extra service offered to discriminate the core product from the competitors or help add value to it (Kotler, 2000).
Certain facilitating services that support exhibition products, such as seminars and forums, must be present for customers. This finding is similar to
Rittichainuwat and Mair (2012), who stated that workshops and seminars are considered attendance motivations because they represent platforms where visitors can interact with experts, celebrities, and other visitors who share the same interests to learn about new trends.
Furthermore, the comfortable display environment of the event also arouses exhibitors’ major concerns. Inappropriate display location and environment preparation lead to disappointed exhibitors and determines exhibitions’ service quality (Jung, 2005). The spatial layout and functionality of display physical environments are especially significant because service encounter surroundings are purposeful (Bitner, 1992). Exhibitors may no longer participate in an exhibition if their display environment does not attract visitors
.
Therefore, PEOs should reflect on how it feels to exhibit at their event. They should try out several booth locations, picturing what it would be like to exhibit from each place. Moreover, they should look at the registration process from an exhibitors’ perspective (Hultsman, 2001).Exhibition logistics is another important attribute that affects company perceptions of overall facilitating services. The finding is consistent with prior studies, which indicated that the ease of bringing the material to the event and having storage space are some of the reasons that business firms participate in the exhibitions (Lee et al., 2015). In addition, timelines reflect realistic time allotments for loading, unpacking, set-up, and tear down. Therefore, PEOs must understand how long it will take to help exhibitors get ready for an event. They should provide exhibitors with reliable freight forwarders who will assist in preparing documentation, offer advice on packing and freight limitations, and generally help ensure that all shipments arrive on time (Krugman & Wright, 2007). Additionally, the business program, e.g., match-making, should also be provided to exhibitors and visitors.
5.1.1.3 Marketing Intelligence Activities
Marketing intelligence is the third most crucial dimension affecting exhibition participation as perceived by exhibitors. The finding is consistent with prior studies, which exposed that marketing intelligence activities are the fundamental reasons business firms participate in exhibitions (Borghini et al., 2006; Hansen, 2004;
Ladipo et al., 2017).
An exhibition can be a suitable area to collect data and information on the competitors and market (Godar & O’Connor, 2001). Exhibitors use the exhibition for launching, testing, and experimenting with their products or services to gather the information that allows for more profound understanding, insights, and analyses (Søilen, 2010).
Marketing intelligence involves gathering marketing information, and useful information will be extracted by the organization (Cacciolatti & Fearne, 2013).
It is considered a vital instrument for a business company that aims to survive in the marketplace and has a competitive business advantage (Ladipo et al., 2017). Companies engaged in marketing intelligence show better performance (Kirca et al., 2005).
The most important stage within the marketing intelligence process is the information gathering procedure, where the raw material is recorded (Tsu &
Ahmed, 1999). Exhibitors can gather related information about their clients, competitors, and vendors (Borghini et al., 2006). Exhibition participation may offer an outstanding opportunity to collect several types of business information in national and international markets (Sharland & Balogh, 1996) because business information is an important resource in business operations.
The fundamental reason that business companies participate in the exhibitions is information gathering, which can include details about clients, products, competitors, and future trends (Blythe, 2000), as well as to gather comprehensive market research and information about the most recent technologies (Rice &
Almossawi, 2002). In addition, information gathering is necessary for exhibition performance, and two-path communication during and post-event follow-up has legitimate effects on information gathering at the exhibition (Çobanoğlu & Turaeva, 2014).
Marketing intelligence activities allow exhibitors to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their competitors. Evaluating a company’s competitor offers more valuable data in assessing their options as to whether to participate in the exhibitions. Furthermore, it allows exhibitors to apply data to their information management systems, which consequently enriches their strategic marketing management and, in the end, improves the company’s competitiveness (Silva et al., 2021).
Nevertheless, it should also be noted that the PEOs have considerable data and information about visitors, other exhibitors, and the market trend (Hlee et al., 2017). Thus, exhibitors could request this information to enhance their marketing cognition. Subsequently, they must interpret and analyze the information to design marketing opportunities and discover new business strategies. As a result, such information enabled the exhibitors to acquire more profit, perform better than their competitors, and increase their competitive advantage. Competitors’ data should serve as an instrument that reveals the competitors’ weaknesses and encourages the exhibitors to utilize the opportunity to improve their business performance.
5.1.1.4 Enhancing Corporate image
According to the data analysis, enhancing the corporate image is the fourth most important factor affecting exhibition participation. Although some exhibitors may not be successful in selling functions, the fact that their businesses are visible at the exhibition is significant (Hultsman, 2001). This finding is consistent with that of Han & Verma (2014) and Lee et al. (2012), who claimed that enhancing the company image is a vital motive attribute. Through proper planning and implementation of exhibition activities, e.g., business meetings (Kang & Schrier, 2011), exhibitors can effectively convey their message to current and potential customer representatives and greatly enhance their corporate image within a relatively short period (Rainbolt et al., 2012).
A positive corporate image builds up customer satisfaction with the company and supports customers in selecting their services (Faria & Mendes, 2013).
This is because the appropriate development of a good business strategy, together with a decent corporate image, can support a company in accomplishing the necessary competitive advantage and confronting the challenges in a multifaceted business environment. Hence, in creating a positive corporate image, the exhibition can be considered an effective marketing tool because it enhances the company’s image in response to exhibitors’ needs. This finding is similar to Kozak (2005), who investigated the differences among dimensions regarding the exhibit objectives of the largest tourism, hospitality, and travel exhibition in Turkey. The result implied that the exhibitors generally tend to join the exhibition for the “enhancing morale of company’s personnel.
5.1.1.5 Exhibition Communications Mix
The exhibition communications mix is the fifth most important dimension affecting exhibition participation. PEOs thoroughly consider market communication campaigns to fill their venue space with exhibitors and visitors. The promotional and communication mix is the same for many (Masterman & Wood, 2006).
Effective promotion is significant for international exhibitions to attract quality exhibitors (Shi et al., 2021).
Communication mix is regularly conducted through advertising in publications and direct mail. Frequently, educational sessions are proposed as an incentive, or well-known industry professionals are contracted to give keynote addresses that pull in visitors. In addition, discount programs, contests, gifts, and other tools used to attract visitors are commonplace. Moreover, the Internet has greatly affected how exhibitions are marketed to potential visitors. Most exhibitions have websites that enable visitors to enroll online (Fenich, 2012).
This concept was similar to the finding of Shimp (2010), who claimed that the fundamental configuration of marketing communications consists of all the methods by which an event communicates with its various constituencies and markets, comprising online advertising (e.g., websites, e-mails, and text messaging), offline advertising (e.g., television, radio, and magazines), sales promotions (e.g., samples, coupons, rebates, and premium items), public relations, and presentations by sales representatives.
Likewise, Lin and Lin (2013) indicated that the most important criteria for exhibitors’ perspective on PEOs’ service quality comprises Internet exposure and inviting specific overseas buyers. The Internet and websites attract the attention of buyers and deliver the latest knowledge to the exhibitors. Therefore, the PEOs should utilize various internet-enabled tools such as online advertising, emails, and social media activities for their promotional purposes. If PEOs want to help the promotion efforts of their exhibitors, they should consider including exhibitors’ profiles on their website so that prospect visitors can get in touch (Hultsman, 2001).
Through the use of digital content, PEOs can attract new exhibitors and visitors, promote the show in media and provide networking opportunities to industry professionals beyond geographical and time constraints (Ducate, 2011 (as noted in
Singh, Shukla, & Kalafatis, 2017)). By providing information about products and services on the web, exhibitors could communicate with potential buyers and attract them to the booth before the event starts. Exhibitors placed high importance on the quality and quantity of visitors, the show’s prestige, and the PEOs’ reputation and promotion efforts, validating that these marketing and sales-oriented criteria remain the most critical selection criteria that drive decision-making for exhibition participation (Shi et al., 2021).
Nevertheless, PEOs and destination marketers need to market two groups of participants. One group that must be focused on is the exhibitors that need to reach potential buyers of their products and services. The other group constitutes visitors who desire to view, discuss, and purchase the products and services demonstrated by the exhibitors. Additionally, exhibitions need to disseminate information in only one specific area of the industry without the need to appeal to the general public. Consumer marketing communications are dominated by television, radio, and press advertising; however, business-to-business advertising is less likely to use these mass media because of fewer buyers involved (Zimmerman & Blythe, 2013).
5.1.1.6 Relationship Marketing Activities
Relationship marketing activities are the sixth most crucial dimension affecting exhibition participation. The exhibition context is important in preparing the right direction for customer relationships. Relationship marketing is one of the most notable trends in marketing today. It is a strategy that focuses on maintaining and enhancing relationships with existing and potential clients. It supposes that many business clients prefer to have a continuing relationship with one organization rather than shift continually among suppliers to search for value (Kotler, 2000; McDaniel et al., 2008).
The finding of this study is consistent with previous studies, such as those of Kijewski et al. (1993), Meng (2012), and Siemieniako & Marcin (2017), who reported that relationship marketing activities affect exhibitors’ motivation to attend an exhibition. The discovery is also in line with the previous literature (Yuksel & Voola, 2010), which examined the exhibitors’ motivations for attending global exhibitions and perceptions of effectiveness. They found that the primary motivation for attending a travel exhibition is to enhance customers’ relationships.
The exhibitions provide relationship marketing activities with existing and potential clients at exhibitors’ booths, event halls, and facilitating activities, e.g., seminars, forums, and matchmaking. Therefore, PEOs must develop a communication strategy that accentuates the advantages of relationship marketing for exhibition participation and, specifically, the activities and areas should conform to such rationale.
However, to make it even better, PEOs should create training sessions to improve the exhibitors’ participation efficiency and clarify the exhibitions as a noticeable relationship marketing context.
5.1.1.7 Commercial Selling Activities
Concerning the main motivations for exhibition participation, the key conclusion is that the seventh significant motivational attribute for exhibition participation is the commercial selling activities. This finding is consistent with Sarmento et al. (2015) and Wang et al. (2017), who claimed that selling activities is a vital motive attribute. Exhibitions are unique and possibly attractive sales and purchase vehicles for exhibitors and visitors (Lee et al., 2012). Exhibitors attend an exhibition to enhance their actual sales and establish probable contacts and leads (Kang & Schrier, 2011).
However, commercial selling activities in this study did not include
“receiving actual sales orders”, which was deleted from the EFA process. Significant supervision for PEOs is that the deleted term should be reconsidered, unlike in consumer exhibitions, where “receiving actual sales orders” is essential.
This concept is consistent with Shipley et al. (1993), who claimed that
"take sales orders" was low relative importance by the UK and overseas exhibitors.
Similarly, Rice & Almossawi (2002) identified the underlying dimensions of the exhibition goals. The least important exhibit goal was “selling at the exhibition.”
In some industry sectors, where the cycle is long, the sales order will take time (Seringhaus & Rosson, 2001). Therefore, if an exhibitor wants to achieve business performance through participation in an exhibition, it is necessary to continuously conduct sales and communication activities over a long period after the event ends (Kim et al., 2020).
5.1.1.8 Destination’s Appropriateness
This research also assessed the relationship between destination’s appropriateness and exhibition participation. Contrary to expectations, the effect of destination’s appropriateness on exhibition participation was not significant.
A possible explanation for the non-significant effect of destination’s appropriateness on exhibition participation might be related to respondents’
characteristics. For example, 1) almost one-third of the respondents were from Thailand, and thus, these respondents would be somewhat familiar with the host destinations. Therefore, familiarity with the host destination might have mitigated their perceived importance of destination’s appropriateness. 2) All respondents were experienced exhibitors; their strong business orientation in an exhibition might further reduce the perceived importance of destination’s appropriateness. 3) The data collection process of this study was performed during the Coronavirus pandemic, where most exhibitions were organized online.Hence, the destination’s appropriateness may be of less importance.
This finding is consistent with previous studies, i.e., Jin (2010), who claimed that the effect of destination attractiveness factors on exhibition brand preference is not significant and inhibited by the relationship quality between PEOs and exhibitors. Similarly, Smith et al. (2003) revealed that participating objectives of global exhibition participants are not altered substantially by the host destination’s attractiveness. Therefore, it could assume that exhibitors would visit any destination as long as there is a potential for successful business.
However, the results of this research differ from the findings of Lu &
Cai (2009) that large exhibition centers, better facilities, and appealing destinations are considered essential to attract the optimum number of visitors and long-term growth of an exhibition. Their research also found that attendees’ satisfaction with exhibitions, venues, and destinations contributes significantly to their overall satisfaction with an event experience. Similarly, Rittichainuwat & Mair (2012) suggested that the exhibition's success depends on the destination where an exhibition is held. Moreover, the finding of this study is in contrast with the conclusions of Zhang et al. (2007), who revealed that the accessibility and attractiveness of the destination are significant in appealing to exhibitors.
In addition, Chacko & Fenich (2000) suggested that the promotional appeal of a destination is a vital contributor to its overall attractiveness. Destinations should integrate specific marketing materials relevant to the exhibition into their tourism product portfolio. They should develop strategic planning for why the destinations are the appropriate location for the target participants (Kim & Malek, 2017). Therefore, it must be emphasized that being non-significant does not mean exhibitors do not consider destination’s appropriateness factors when choosing exhibitions hosted in different destinations.
5.1.2 Research Question 2. What are the causal relationships among the